Flexible support for canopy switches



Dec. 24, 1935. H. HUBBELL, JR 2,025,055

FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR CANOPY SWITCHES Filed July 5, 1934 I d INVENTOR I J BY 32 I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR CANOPY SWITCHES 7 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical switch mountings and has particular relation to a flexible support for canopy switches.

An object of the invention is to provide a means ifor supporting a switch in any desired position in a canopy whereby the switch may be easily and quickly installed regardless of the available space in the upper or top portion of the canopy.

Another object is to provide a means as stated and which does not interfere with the free oper-- ation of the pull chain for operating the switch irrespective of the position of the switch in a canopy.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of. the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View partly in section and partly in elevation and showing a switch installed in a canopy in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the installation;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the installation; and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View illustrating the old method of mounting a switch in a canopy.

Referring in detail to the drawing, at 5 is shown a canopy which may be of any desired design and which is secured in any or the usual way against a ceiling 6 above a depending light or chandelier (not shown). The artists or designers of these canopies did not give attention to the size of the switches to be used in the canopies and frequently the electrician finds that there is not room for the switches when he starts to install them. Heretofore it has been the practice to install switches l in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. In that figure it will be seen that a threaded guide or stud 8 is carried by the switch 1 and passes through an opening in a wall of. the canopy and that a ring nut or equivalent means 9 is threaded on this stud at the outer side of the canopy whereby a portion of the Wall of the latter is clamped between the body of the switch and the nut 9.

In addition to providing a means for mounting the switch I the stud 8 also forms a guide for the pull chain l0 used for operating the switch.

When the distance between the shoulder l l of the canopy and the ceiling 6 is too short it is necessary for the electrician to dig or cut a hole or recess E2 in the ceiling whereby the switch may be accommodated. This requires considerable 5..

be cleaned up. 15

According to the present invention, the switch 1 is mounted on a flexible support and pull chain guide whereby the switch is yieldingly supported at a distance from the side wall of the canopy on which it is mounted, and may be moved into 20 the desired position so that it is not necessary to cut or chop a hole or recess in a ceiling in order to accommodate the switch when the available space in the upper portion of the canopy is not sufiicient to receive the switch. The present 25 means is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 wherein a closely coiled spring wire support l3 has one of its end portions threaded onto the switch stud or guide 8 and has its other end threaded onto a nipple l4 provided intermediate its ends with a flange l5. The relationship of the parts is such that one end of the coil spring support may be tightly threaded onto the stud or guide 8 while the other end of the spring is tightly threaded onto an end portion of the nipple I4, or said end portion of the nipple is threaded into the other end of the spring,

When applying the switch a portion of the nipple I4 is passed through the opening H5 in a wall of the canopy 5 whereby to bring the flange I5 of the nipple against the inner surface of said wall. The pull chain l0 extends through the spring support l3 and the nipple l4 and these parts act as a guide for the chain. Thereafter, the ring nut 9 is tightened whereby a portion of the wall of the canopy is clamped between such nut and the flange l5 of the nipple. In this way the switch is yieldingly supported and may be shifted about as suggested by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 and may be moved to any desired position depending on the wires indicated at l 8 and other devices enclosed by the canopy. This facilitates making the conductor wire connections to the switch as the switch can be moved to a position when these connections can be easily made. Ir-

OFFICE It also requires mutilation and damage to 10 respective of the position of the switch the coil spring or support I3 and the nipple l4 act as guides for the pull chain It! so that the switch can be operated equally well in all positions. In addition to mounting the switch 1 in such a manner that it may be moved about, the present means permits the switch to be located inwardly of or beyond the shoulder i i of the canopy where there is plenty of space, measured vertically, for the switch.

It is a characteristic of the coil spring l3 that it grips the stud and nipple to which it is threaded, or that is, it is self looking to the stud or nipple, and that it may not be threaded off such stud and nipple without gripping its free end I1 brought around to the side of the support at the stud and nipple and then turning it to loosen its grip on the threaded element. That is, a twist or turning movement applied to one end of the spring will not thread its other end off the stud or nipple. Therefore, it will be seen that there is no danger of the switch becomingdisconnected from the spring or of the spring becoming disconnected from the nipple whereby the switch would be loose and unsupported in the canopy. With the present switch support and, pull chain guide the switch may be easily and quickly mounted in the canopy regardless of the available space in theupper or topportion of the canopy and without the necessity of cutting an opening or recess in a ceiling for the accommodation of a portion of the switch. Further, in all positions or locations of the switch the coil spring and nipple form a guide for the pull chain or its equivalent so that the switch may be operated equally well in all positions of the switch and without any extra pull or drag on the chain.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination, a canopy having an opening in a wall thereof, a switch within said canopy, a closely coiled spring connected at one end to said switch, a nipple on the other end of said spring and extending through the opening in the wall of the canopy, a nut securing said nipple to the said switch, means securing the other end of the spring to said wall of the canopy with the opening through the spring aligned with the opening in the wall of the canopy, and a switch operating pull chain connected at one end to the switch and passing out of the canopy through the coil spring whereby the latter acts as a guide for the pull chain and yieldingly mounts the switch.

3. In combination, a canopy having an opening in a wall thereof, a switch having a hollow stud and an operating pull chain extending through said stud, and a closely coiled spring having the pull chain passing through it, said spring secured at its respective ends to said stud and canopy wall with its said ends registering with the openings in the wall and stud whereby to provide a guide for the chain and a flexible mounting for the switch.

' 4. In combination, a canopy having an opening in a wall thereof, a switch in said canopy, a

threaded hollow stud on said switch, a switch operating pull chain extending through'said stud, a closely coiled spring having one end threaded to said stud, a screw threaded nipple threaded to the other end of said spring and extending through the opening in the wall of the canopy, a nut threaded on the outer end of the nipple and securing it to the canopy, and said pull chain passing through and guided by the spring and nipple and said spring yieldingly mounting the switch.

5. In combination, a canopy, a switch within the canopy, a coiled spring within the canopy and secured at one end to the switch, means securing the other end of the spring to the canopy to yieldingly support the switch therein, and means for operating the switch.

6. In combination, a switch including a flexible pull chain foroperating it, a support for the switch to mount it in a canopy comprising a flexible resilient member connected to the switch, means for securing the free end of the support to a canopy to mount the switch therein, and said flexible support enclosing the pull chain.

7. In combination, a switch including a flexible pull chain for operating it, a coiled spring secured at one end to the switch, means for securing the spring to a canopy at a point spaced from the switch to yieldably mount the switch therein,

and said pull chain extending longitudinally through the spring and enclosed thereby.

HARVEY HUBBELL, JR. 

